OAKLAND, Calif. - The Navy commissioned Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Oakland (LCS 24) during a ceremony, April 17.
OAKLAND, Calif. (April 17, 2021) - The Navy commissioned Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Oakland (LCS 24) during a ceremony, April 17.
Navy leaders, Oakland city officials and a socially distanced audience attended the ceremony for the third ship in naval service to be named in honor of the city of Oakland. The first USS Oakland was a transport cargo ship commissioned in 1918. The second Oakland was a light cruiser that served in World War II, earning nine battle stars.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas W. Harker delivered the ceremony's principal address.
"We now have a finished warship behind us that is ready to be placed into commission," said Harker. "This ship is a marvel of engineering, which will extend our capabilities for any mission across the blue water, from shoreline to shoreline."
Guest speakers for the event also included U.S. Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Sean Buck, Program Executive Office Rear Adm. Casey Moton, Austal USA Vice President Larry Ryder and Mayor of Oakland Libby Schaaf.
Kate Brandt, Google's sustainability officer and the ship's sponsor, delivered the time-honored Navy order to Oakland's crew to "Man our ship and bring her to life!"
Oakland's commanding officer, Cmdr. Francisco X. Garza, reported the ship ready.
"I am incredibly proud of this crew for their dedication to shipmate and ship as we worked toward the commissioning of USS Oakland, said Garza. "We are honored to carry the name 'Oakland' into the fleet."
Oakland will be homeported in San Diego with littoral combat ships USS Independence (LCS 2), USS Coronado (LCS 4), USS Jackson (LCS 6), USS Montgomery (LCS 8), USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), USS Omaha (LCS 12), USS Manchester (LCS 14), USS Tulsa (LCS 16), USS Charleston (LCS 18), USS Cincinnati (LCS 20), and USS Kansas City (LCS 22).
The littoral combat ship (LCS) is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in near-shore environments, while capable of open-ocean tasking. LCS can support forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence. The underlying strength of LCS lies in its innovative design approach, applying modularity for operational flexibility.
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